The Mind Of A Fish And A Cockle

Gaius and Terence arrive back at the car with the King George whiting.

You've caught a fish! says Rosamunda

I was given it, says Gaius.

It's alive! says Unni. Gaius, you should throw it back into the water.

I thought we might eat it, says Gaius.

The King George whiting goes stiff.

.........

Ying and Stew emerge from the Serendipity Cafe.

Sorry we took so long, says Ying. Oh, a King George whiting!

It's not looking too well, says Stew.

Terence pokes at the King George whiting.

It's hungry, says Terence. Know how I know?

Don't tell us, says Ying.

It's opening and shutting, says Terence.

And it is. But not because it's hungry.

........

Arthur and Surfing-With-Whales are cycling through Smithton.

Hey guys! calls Rosamunda.

They stop and dismount.

Geez! A King George whiting! says Surfing-With-Whales.

Someone gave it to Gaius, says Rosamunda.

And we're going to eat it, says Terence.

It's not big enough, says Surfing-With-Whales. Where'd it come from?

Duck Bay, says Gaius, but we really must get a move on......

Give it here. I'll take it, says Surfing-With-Whales.

The King George whiting can understand English.

It utters a sigh of relief.

Possibly unwarranted.

........

The car heads off in the direction of the Tarkine.

Sorry, sorry, so sorry, says Terence, in the back seat.

That's okay, says Ying.

Not you, the fishy, says Terence. I think it was trying to talk.

Fish don't talk, says Stew.

Quite true, says Gaius. Terence knows very little. Perhaps he might benefit from his time in the back seat with us. What can we tell him about King George whiting. Ying?

They eat amphipods and polychaete worms, says Ying.

So it's a bird, says Terence. Ha ha Gaius!

No, Terence, says Gaius. Ying is quite correct. What about you, Stew? What can you teach Terence?

They don't eat molluscs, says Stew. Kind of weird, because the main bait used by fishers is cockles.

So what? says Terence.

Cockles are molluscs, says Rosamunda, over her shoulder.

How do you know? says Terence.

She's right, says Gaius.

But... says Terence.

He wishes the King George whiting was here.

He would ask it? Do you or don't you like cockles?

And it would say. Yes, if they're peeled.

Terence is not far wrong here, except he imagines that cockles are something like prawns.

In fact, cockles are opened when used as bait for King George whiting.

That is why, as a bait, cockles are very successful, even though they are molluscs.

(Cockles think otherwise of course).